A new expo and conference called AEC BuildTech— held in Rosemont, Ill., April 30 to May 2—brought together attendees and suppliers to explore best practices in implementing new technologies in the buildings sector.

A radiation-shielded, inflatable greenhouse with a hydroponic growing system designed by undergraduate students at Dartmouth College’s Thayer School of Engineering could sustain four astronauts on a 600-day mission to Mars as soon as 2030.

The International Living Future Institute, steward of the world’s most demanding sustainable-building program, is no longer satisfied with its boutique status as a third-party certifier of super-green buildings.